When qualification finished, Jake was chatting away as animatedly as ever with Eddie Jordan in the pit lane about potential race tactics for the following day.

Conceding a point to his diminutive sidekick, Eddie couldn't resist.

'Oh, you're only being nice cos you're leaving, Jake.'

His young anchor laughed and said he was always nice, adding: 'I've got one more day to be nice yet.'

Lewis Hamilton, too, was just one sleep from a change of gear.

At the post-qualifying press conference, Jensen Button was also being equally as magnanimous about his departing partner.

'It's a pity things have got to change,' he said, his McLaren team-mate alongside him. 'But it's great to both be on the front row for (Hamilton's) last race.

Come Sunday, though, and as Fleetwood Mac cranked it up for one last opening sequence, it was surely time to get the game faces on. At least until the champagne started flying from up on the podium, that is.

Fat chance. Jake had decided to open up with the rather robust thought that 'someone once said in life, you get big days and you get small days. Well, for many reasons, today is most definitely a big day.'

Which would have tided them over nicely until the end if the Red Bull team hadn't decided to encore Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' from inside their garage.

Just as Jake tried to set up the show with his presentation team of the last four years, Eddie along and David Coulthard.

That did it.

'Nice touch', said Jake, as Eddie went straight for the emotional jugular, saying: 'I feel privileged...greatest (season) of my recollection.'

Walking away: Lewis Hamilton will drive for Mercedes next year after leaving McLaren

David: 'I'm more nervous than when I was racing. I'm a fan of the sport. You don't lose that.'

Blimey! The boys had gone both barrels with their farewell speeches and they were still an hour away from the start of the race.

Mind you, it would be difficult not to get carried away in the event because, lest we forget, there was an absolutely crucial grand prix about to happen.

Hamilton was more than aware of that when Coulthard cornered him just before he climbed into a McLaren cockpit for the very last time.

'I'm trying to keep my emotions in check,' he smiled nervously, but when pushed to say a few words about his departure he thanked everyone he could think of before saying with a gentle wink: 'I hope the fans will still support me.'

Three amigos: (from left) David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Humphrey

What should ensure his ongoing popularity is that the racing is never boring when Lewis is going for it, and he contributed mightily – for as long as Nico Hulkenberg would let him – to what was indeed a fantastic finale.

The first dozen laps were as good as we've seen all season, and the whole race was full of twists and turns. And yes, I am aware that is meant to be the general idea.

Early on, we saw Fernando Alonso's girlfriend and Felipe Massa's parents living every second of those early laps.

Seeing those pictures, Coulthard pointed out on commentary: 'It brings out the emotions...and they're running high here.'

By the end of this thriller that saw Sebastian Vettel secure an amazing hat trick of titles, those feelings must have been running on fumes.

Hat-trick hero: Sebastian Vettel was celebrating a third straight championship at Interlagos

This was even apparent in the voice of commentator Ben Edwards.

Okay, he'd had incident after incident to report throughout the race but I'm sure there was just a little extra wobble in the old throat when he said at the chequered flag 'it's been a real privilege'.

It was one of those days. We even had the precious image of the new champion being warmly congratulated by the retiring seven-time champ Michael Schumacher.

Which surprised Eddie.

'He's normally selfish,' he said, but quickly added 'but in a good way'.

Nice save, Mr Jordan...just about!

Thirsty work: Jenson Button took the honours at the Brazilian Grand Prix

Humphrey's last BBC F1 TV show actually wrapped up pretty quickly and in the frenzy, it ended up falling to triumphant Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to do the honours.

'You've done a great job,' he told Jake. 'I know you're going off to a much lesser sport next year, but you've done the BBC proud. We'll miss you.'

The BBC will be back covering F1 next season along with Sky and their usual full-blooded broadcasts, but there's no doubt about it, the 'lesser sport' has got itself a good 'un over at BT.